A kitten had to undergo emergency surgery after ate a television aerial that became lodged in his oesophagus and stomach.

Owner Vanessa Waite, 36, of Parson Cross, Sheffield, had only owned young tabby cat Alphie for a few days when he started his love affair with the TV.

"One night I heard a loud bang and went upstairs to investigate but I assumed Alphie had fallen off the window sill. He seemed okay and was just hiding under the bed.

"However, during the night he was being sick so the next morning I took him to the PDSA. It wasn't until later that I realised that one of the aerial antennas was missing from my TV."

If the six-inch metal antenna had remained inside him Alphie would have died so surgeons removed it through the kitten's stomach.

Liz Airey, senior veterinary surgeon at the PDSA Sheffield PetAid hospital, said it was one of the most unusual cases she has ever come across.

She said: "It seems as though the kitten had been playing with the antenna and inadvertently swallowed it which is a very unusual accident.

"It's fortunate that he didn't swallow it the other way round as the sharp broken end could have punctured his stomach and caused damage to his intestines which could have been fatal."

Ms Waite added: "I couldn't believe it when I saw the X-ray. The aerial looked huge in his tiny body. I'm so grateful to PDSA for saving his life, and it's amazing that he's gone on to make a full recovery."